“Disappointed”: Sarah Teather’s Bill to protect tenants failed to get through the Commons PA

Former minister Sarah Teather who has announced she is standing down as a Liberal Democrat MP was facing defeat at the 2015 general election, pollsters said today.

Labour sources also claimed the Lib-Dems are doing worse in London than in other parts of the country and highlighted a series of by-elections where Nick Clegg’s party has fared badly.

Ms Teather announced at the weekend that she was quitting after becoming disillusioned with her party on issues including welfare caps and immigration. But she also faced a huge battle to cling onto her Brent Central seat, which she held with a majority of 1,345 in 2010.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos MORI, said: “With the Liberal Democrats hovering around half their 2010 level of support, and losing a lot of their vote to Labour, it would have been a major ask for Sarah Teather to win.”

Anthony Wells, of YouGov, said: “Lib-Dems in inner-city seats where Labour is the opposition are struggling intensely. As the polls presently are, it’s very likely that she would have lost.”

A Labour source argued: “She would have had slim to zero chance of holding her seat.”

Former MP Dawn Butler is out canvassing regularly in the constituency and is seen as a frontrunner to be selected as Labour’s candidate, although Brent council’s leader Muhammed Butt could be a strong challenger if he entered the race.

Lib-Dem insiders accept that Labour is ahead in the seat but said that if they thought they had it won, they were getting a “little bit cocky”.

Brent Lib-Dem councillor Chris Leaman said: “For 10 years Sarah Teather and the Liberal Democrats have taken on Labour in Brent and won against the odds by speaking up for local residents.”

The Lib-Dem share of the vote has plunged in by-elections in Islington, Merton and Kingston this year.

Announcing that she was stepping down in 2015, Ms Teather criticised her party over immigration and welfare. The former education minister — who became the youngest MP when she beat Labour in a by-election in Brent East almost exactly a decade ago — pointed to the decision to back the Tories’ planned cap on welfare. “Something did break for me that was never, ever repaired,” she said.

And she described herself as “utterly desolate” when Mr Clegg said that some immigrants should be asked to pay a £1,000 returnable “bond” when requesting a visa.

A Lib-Dem spokesman said it was “disappointed” by her decision — which comes a week before the annual party conference — and defended its “proud record” in the coalition Government.